Air-ship.



GRITBE AIR SHIP.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11, 1904,

Patented Dec. 29, 1908. a SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Oiiiiizlii b13354 ()(L M. GRUBE.

AIR SHIP.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 11, 1904..

907,992. Patented Dec. 29, 1908.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. VuO/VQWAQ 3 vim/1'1 ten 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Patented Dec. 29, 1908.

M. GRUBE.

AIR'SHIP.

' APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11 1904.

9 w Q an iomrin) STATES PATENT oFFioE.

Q f-MAX enUBn'or- OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

AIR-SHIP.

To all whom it mag concern: I

Be it known that I, MAX GRUBE, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing in Oakland, in the county of Alameda" and State of California, have invented new and-useful Im provements in Air Ships, of which the following is a specification. '1'

This invention relates to improvements in air-ships of that class or description having gas containing compartments for buoyancy, and also provided with propelling apparatus and steering devices for controlling the direction of travel.

The improvements embrace a ri id structure consisting of twin hulls or odies of novel form and construction containing gas holding compartments, and novel means of transferring the charges or bodies of gas from one compartment to another; also, in propelling and steering mechanism of novel constructlon and operation, and in means for ad usting and controlling the same from the the propelling mechanism in the space between the two bodies.

Fig. 2 is a top view of the twin. bodies showingthe propelling means between them. Fig.3 is a transverse sectional view of the frame-work of the twin bodies and the platform. I" ig. 4 is a longitu dinal sectional View of one of the twin bodies showing the inflatable air bag and the end gas-rcce1vmgreceptacles and the valves therefor.

The two bodies A A, which with the platform B form the hull'of the ship, consist each of a light skeleton frame-work of transverse, kite-shaped ribs having bow top and bottom ends (It-a and straightside-bars a". gitudinal top and bottom rails (lc laid horizontally and parallel unite the kiteshaped ribs and connect them togetherstiiiiy at intervals apart lengthwise ofthe body.

On the inside, cross bars f and 20 and horizontal ones 21 and 22 give'strength to the kite-shaped frame, The topand bottom i Specification of Letters rfatent. {A nmionmeuu ua 11, 1904. Scrial No. 220,331.

in advance of their bottoms.

bars 2 extending from end to end and con- Patented Dec. '29, 1908 an es from the vertical, so as to increase in inc nation from the middle bars, which are perpendicular, or nearly so, to the longitudinal axisin both directions towards the ends of the body; so that the ribs at the opposite ends of the framework occupy a very much inclined position, with their tops considerably Curved sidenected to the ribs by short brace-bars 4 form .trussed braces along the outer sides of each body, while other curved side-bars 3, with brace-bars 4 on the inner sides, join the two bodies stiiiiy side by side and hold them firml together as one structure. These sideraces may be omitted for the purpose of lessening the weight of the structure, as the kite-shaped form given to the ribs contributes to the stiffness of the side-members of.

Trussed skeleton braces are placed at intervals apart along part of the bottom of each of the bodies A A, and eachof these braces gives support to one of a number of tie-rods s with arched top and bottom bars u-t and spaced braces 12; which tie-rods form a firm connection between the two bodies.

The tie-rod s are passed through tubular blocks 5 attached to the braces f, and also confined in hangers don the bottom of the kiteshaped frame. The hangers 6 have holes for the rods and the blocks 5 are set between the hangers to form the main support of the platform, the hangers being arranged to serve as supplementary supports in case the other .sup .orts get out oforder.

T e space inside and between the kiteshaped ribs is closed in by a casing 10 of some flexible material such as silk fabric varnished or coated to render it gas-tight, thereby formingthe interior space from end toend into a gas-containing com artmcnt. A net-work of cords with relatively fine mesh is stretched over the outside of the fabric to resist the ends of the upright braces are let into the longitudinal rails d -e and fastened by nuts on the ends of the tenons.

The main bars-20from the middle of the bod towards either end are set at varying pressure of the gas and strengthen the walls.

In the middle of the gas-holding body com posed of the framework and the casing 10, anddividing the space transversely, is fixed an expansible and colla sible air bag 30 provided with an inlet 31 ,t rough which air can be forcedto expand the bag, and having. an

outlet 63 for letting out the air when it is necessary to remove the pressure and allow the bag to collapse. A protectin casing 32 formed of some elastic or flexib e fabric sur rounded by a net-work ot cords inclosing the air-bag 30 allows that bag to expand to its greatest capacity or extent and also prevents it from expanding beyond the limit of safety. I. practice the inlet 31 will be connected by means of an air-tight flexible tube with an air-pump of any weibknown construction located on the platform before mentioned on which the operator stands, and arranged in position to be conveniently operated by power taken from the motor that drives the pro ellers. Such a pump-can be arranged an connected for operation Without special explanation being glven in the present description, and the same are therefore omitted from the drawings. outlet 63 for the air is to be provided with a controlling-valve of any suitable construction located within reach of the operator on the platform for closing the outlet to the atmos here when the air-bag is to be inflated.

T e effect of ex anding the air-bag 30 and distending its incl fising casing 32 is to force the confined gas in the main gas-bag 10 by displacement into one orthe other of two separate gas-holding bags or expansible compartments 14= 15 one at eachend of the body A, according as one or the other of such compartments is put in communication with the gas-holding space of the body A. Each of these compartn'ients 14-15 communicates with the main compartment through an apiie erture 16 in theend of the main-easing 10. A valve 17 held normally to a seat on the aperture 16 by at spring 68 shuts off th compartment in the end from the main compartmeat, and a l ver 18 connected to the hinge )f the valve and from which a cord is carried down to the platform furnishes a means for opening the valve at the time of inliating the air-bag 30, so asto allow the displaced gas. to

. pass into and inflate-the supplementary compartment in the conical end of the body.

At the time of inflating the gas-bag-M at one end, or the similar bag 15 at the other end, the valve ofthe bagiop osite to the one being inflated is kept close so that the gas disp seed by the expanding air-bag 30 will be caused to pass. through the open valve and inflate that compartment which is beyond it. The object of this operation is to transfer a greater or less portion of the confined body of gas from the main-compartment into one end or the other end and thus increase the buoyancy of the body at that end.

The propelling apparatus comprises a plurality of reciprocating piston-heads inelosed by separate cylindrical casings 35 and connected to a common crank-shaft by rods 39.

Each head is composed of a 'n'uniberof flexi hie flaps which are segments of a circular In practice also, the

disk surrounded by a stiff rim of proper diameter tofit closely and slide with a minimum of friction within the surrounding casing 35. These disks, of which the flexible flaps form a part, are firmly clamped .und attached to the rim, and thus the flaps will open outwardly by virtue of the pressure of the air against their backs as the head travels in one direction in the casing, and close by the ressure against the opposite sides as the hea moves in the other direction \lire guards extending across the space surrounded b the rim limit the return movement of tie flaps, causing them to lie flat against the guard-wires and close the open: ing, the edges of the flaps fitting together to make a close joint.

The flaps can be made out of any strong, thin and flexible material, and are secured to the circular rim in such manner that they will yield and open outwardly in the buck stroke of the ropeller-head, but will close together quick y as the pressure of the air is transferred from the back to the front side by the reverse, or forward, stroke.

The cylindrical casings 35, which are opcn at both ends, are supported in a stationary frame composed of centrally placed parallel bars 45 of semi-circular shape stiilly joincd together. four casin s are arranged in pairs on oppo- In the present construction the site side of the bars 45 and the two pairs of casings are united thereto by a slide-block which is fitted to move easily in the slot between the rails, 45. By this construction the casings may be moved in the frame 45 so that their outer ends may occupy a position parallel with the longitudinal axis of the ship, or any position at a greater or less degree of elevation or depression relative to such axis.

The driving rods 39 of the propcllcr-lmads are connected to a common crank-shall 38' for which bearings are provided in the stationary-frame, and being placed at the cculcr of the are in which the swinging-frame is arranged to move, the angular adjustment of the propellers does not ail'ect the connections between the propellers and the crunk-slull'i. The motor indicated at 36 Fig. 1 may be of any suitable kind or character capable of furnishing the power required to drive the set of propellers. It is placed on the sidc of the crank-shaft opposite to and a little bclow the propellers, where connection can conveniently be made with the cranks.

A separate crank is provided for each proeller rod 39, and these as well as the cranks or the connecting rods of the motor are set at different degrees apart around the circle, to avoid conjunction of dead. centers.

The casings 35 of the propellers are fn=- tened rigidl together side by, side in a re in the mova le frame. The propeller casings are raised and lowered in the frame by means llll one'is intended'to change the application of the propelling power against the air in such manner as to produce downward movement of the ship, and in like manner changing the osition from the horizontalrto one orvmore ess inclined downwardly will produce a contrary action 'of the propellers tending to accelerate the rising movementi 'The platform, which supports the propel ling means and the persons who control the shi may be provided with wheels or suitab e fenders as may be required in apparatus of. this kind. In this position while being free to yield under the weight or impact of the structure as they strike the ground these sprin fenders will also act like runners and will s ide over the, surface withoutjdanger of catching in obstructions.

It should be mentioned that the bags or inflatable compartments 1415 at the ends of the plrincipal gas-holding compartments in the hu and with which they gpmmunicate through the valve-controlled apertures, as before described, are themselves situated in extensions of the body, one at each end, and

are formed each of a bag of gas+tight flexible material of the same character as thatused principal compartment.

for the walls of the The frame-work o the body and the end extensions as well,-t'herefore, constitute a protective and a supporting st'ructure for the gas-containing receptacles, and while the members are united by rigid joints they can be constructed of light material. This I'am enabled to do because of the peculiar shape' of the kite-shaped bows or ribs and the mannor of bracing them on the inside by the angularly-set braces and ofjoining them together by the inner bars, which I have termed the back-bone. l

-A steering device on therear end of the I hull is provided in the form of a laterally swinglng rudder-piece which is'both movable on the post from side to side, and isalso adapted to be shifted vertically on the post soas to move upward outof the way as it oomesvin contact with the surface of the ground, but atfother timesto be set nearer the bottom line of the platforml Tiller rods and cords conhect the rudder with a means for moving and setting it from the latform.

l at I claim as my i vention, and desire to secure by Letters Pat it 1s separate gas containin bottom.

1.,In an air-ship, a'hull comprising twinhollow bodies kite-shaped in cross-section and each com osed of a frame-work formed of longitudina top bars and bottom-bars and transversely set inclined kite-shaped bows varying in inclination one with another from each end towards the middle of the body,- a gas-tight.casing inclosing the space within the bows and members of the frame-work, a V

compartment at each end of the said inc osed space in each body communicating therewith through an aperture, a valve for controlling said aperture, an expansible air-bag within the said inclosed space contained in each body of the hull situated in the middle of said s ace, and provided with an inlet andan out et in the 2. In an air-ship the combination of a hull or body having a principal gas-containing s .a'ce adapted to float the ship, an inflata le air-bag situated within said space and adapted under its inflation to displace the gas in the said space, an auxiliary expansible gas receiver communicating therewith through a valve-controlled aperture, ineans for operating said valve, and an air-inlet tube for connecting said air-ba with a source of air under pressure for in ating the air-bag, whereby gas from the gas containing space is forced into the auxiliary gasreceiving space and the inclination of the ship is changed and means for escape of the air from the bag-todeflate the same.

3. In an air ship, the combination ofa framework, a, gas containing receptacle surrounding said framework and another frame extending over the gas receptacle,-auxiliary gas receiving chambers at the o posite ends tacle and the auxiliary gas chambers, and means for forcing gas into said auxiliary gas chambers.

4. In an air ship, the combination of a pair of relatively long bodies, kiteshaped in cross-section and each comp-rising aframework, a gas containlng receptacle inclosing said framework and an additional framework surrounding the gas containing receptacle,

an inflatable air bag centrally located within the said receptacle, valves for inflating and deflating the said air bag, an inflatable auxiliary gas bag at each end of each body communicating with the gas containing receptacle through an aperture, and valves for opening and closing'the said apertures.

5. In an air-ship, the combination of a principal gas-containing space therein adapted to support the ship, an auxiliary cxpansible gas holder having communication with the principal gas-containing space through a valve-controlled aperture, of an inflatable air-bag within the ,said gas-containing space nation of the ship is changed.

6. In an air ship, a framework kite shaped in cross section, and comprlsing longitudinal top and bottom bars and transversely ar ranged kite shaped bows set at varying inclinations relative to each other, those atthe center of the frame being nearly vertical those toward the ends inclining more and more relative thereto, and a gas casingcarried by the said framework, substantially as set forth.

7 In an air ship, a hull comprising twin frames each kite shaped in cross section-arranged longiti'idinally side by side and connected by rigid braces, each frame comprising longitudinal top and bottom bars and transversely set kite shaped bows, and a gas tight casing carried by each frame, substantially as set forth.

8. In an air ship, a framework kite shaped in cross section and comprising longitudipal top and bottom bars and transversely arranged kite shaped bows set at varying; inchnations relative to each other, those at the center of the frame being nearly vertical, and those toward the ends inclining more and more relative thereto, tapering supplemental MAX GRUBE.

Witnesses EDWARD E. OsBoRN, L. OSBORN. 

